Wu Yibing’s Davis Cup heroics keep China’s hopes alive, while Bu Yunchaokete unexpectedly becomes the team’s most pressured player

Following the conclusion of the first day of the Davis Cup World Group I Play-offs, Wu Yibing again became the center of admiration.

China’s serious approach to this Davis Cup play-off is best demonstrated by sending out their top players—Bu Yunchaokete, Wu Yibing, Shang Juncheng, Zhang Zhizhen, and Zhou Yi. Facing Portugal with this strongest squad, China’s intention is clear: to secure ultimate victory and make new history in Chinese tennis.

China chose their top player Bu Yunchaokete to start against Portugal’s Sousa, leading many fans and netizens to speculate that the strategy was likely to let Bu get off to a smooth start, securing an opening win and easing the pressure on Wu Yibing who would follow.

Compared to Sousa, world No. 45 Borges is a tougher opponent. Given Wu Yibing’s current excellent form, he clearly has a better chance against Borges than Bu facing him directly.

If both Bu Yunchaokete and Wu Yibing could win their matches, China’s pressure for tomorrow would drastically decrease. Approaching the second day with a relaxed mindset would undoubtedly increase their chances of defeating Portugal and qualifying for the World Group I for the first time under the current Davis Cup format, marking a new milestone for Chinese tennis.

Before the match, betting companies favored Bu Yunchaokete, offering odds of 1 to 1.4 compared to Sousa’s 1 to 2.75.

It was expected that Bu Yunchaokete would have no trouble defeating the relatively unknown Sousa, but surprisingly, China’s top player failed to deliver, losing to Sousa in an upset with two 6-4 sets.

The unexpected result shocked many, not only because Bu lost a match he was expected to win, but also due to his overall performance throughout the game.

In the match against Sousa, Bu Yunchaokete failed to dominate as both the odds and public opinion predicted. He even failed to create a single break point throughout the match, making it hard to believe this was the performance of China’s top player.

Bu’s loss instantly increased the pressure on Wu Yibing, who was set to play next. Although Wu did not have a guaranteed win against Borges, a loss here would have made China’s situation even more difficult.

It is necessary to give Wu Yibing huge credit for withstanding such immense pressure and proving himself to the public.

Wu Yibing showed a relentless fighting spirit against Borges, as netizens said, he literally wore his determination to win on his face. Supported by this adventurous mindset, Wu completely suppressed Borges, taking the first set 6-1 and shifting all the pressure onto the Portuguese player.

The second set turned into a fierce battle of tactics, courage, and grit between Wu and Borges.

Borges aimed to seize control early to even the score and reset the match, while Wu wanted to finish quickly in two sets to avoid prolonging the contest. This led to an intense set where both players earned break points in each other’s service games but failed to convert them, pushing the set to a decisive tiebreak.

Understanding the importance of the tiebreak, Wu intensified his attack, subdued Borges’ momentum, maintained the lead, and ultimately triumphed 7-3 in the tiebreak, winning the match in straight sets.

When Wu Yibing scored the final point, the crowd gave him a thunderous applause. After Bu’s defeat, Wu’s victory leveled the tie at 1-1, effectively preserving China’s hope of advancing in this Davis Cup and earning him great acclaim.

With the teams tied after day one, the pressure is balanced for both sides tomorrow; whoever performs better will advance.

After his commanding win over Borges, Wu Yibing’s confidence for tomorrow’s match against Sousa has soared, with many expecting the former Chinese No.1 to advance smoothly.

However, Bu Yunchaokete, who will play again tomorrow, now carries the greatest pressure on the team.

Failing to beat Sousa on the first day was already a setback, and facing the stronger Borges tomorrow poses an even bigger challenge for Bu. If Zhang Zhizhen and Zhou Yi win their first doubles match, the situation would be more manageable. But if they lose, Bu must defeat Borges to keep China’s last chance of qualification alive. Whether China’s top player can handle this tremendous pressure and display the spirit, toughness, and dominance expected of him—securing a win to energize everyone and witness a new chapter in Chinese tennis history following Wu’s match—remains to be seen.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlit River’s Starry Sky)